Prevailing prayer means intercessory prayer that works!

Micah 6:8 “He has showed you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? But to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

I had become arrogant in business but God had to work to bring to bring me to the point where he could use me. He allowed me to lose all of my assets so that I could go and do things God’s way.

Here are some of the ways that God has answered prayer and why He worked the way He did:

To build my confidence in God: I didn’t have much confidence and had to experience God keeping to know that He could keep me.

To receive assurance that I was on the right track with God. I was unsure.

To turn me back to God

To put him first in what was going on and not behind a child.

To broaden my trust in Him. To go forward.

To stop a mistake from taking me away from Him; he sometimes would delay His answers.

To make me lonely for His company.

I had to ask, is God’s answer Yes? Or was it No? Am I right the person for now? Is this the right time for Him?

Finding Contacts in the Jungle

Matt 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Had a veranda and the kids were kicking up the dust. I sneezed. One contact went over the wall into the dirt and the mess underneath. These were hard lenses and very small. It was nighttime. I fumbled my way in to the bedroom to find a torch. The torch wasn’t working. I was also very scared of snakes underneath. There were also no steps. But I had the verse “Do not worry about tomorrow…” I was going to be starting out blind. I told the kids “I have lost my contact,” but they didn’t understand. To help them understand I pulled out the other contact so they could see. Of course they had to touch it, and soon the other contact was also gone. The kids ran downstairs to look, and found both contacts! God really cared about that. He gave an INSTANT answer to prayer.

Getting Iron for the roof

Philippians 4:6,7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guar your hearts wand minds through Christ Jesus.”

They was an iron roof on the house. I was trying to be brave and faithful. Now we needed to pray for iron. I told the Lord, “Please bring the right amount of iron and the right amount of money.” Without further ado, I gave one of the children my ANZ card and instructed him how to use it. He disappeared on a motor bank. That was early in the morning. He was also to get the transport company to bring up the iron. At 4 PM that night I was trembling, wondering what was going on, since the boy hadn’t come back—after all he had my card and the password. There were about 20,000 “b” in the bank. I walked down to the church and stopped the truck. I began praying and asking God for help. The truck came up. Since I couldn’t speak Thai I just waved the truck down. The boys on the back began throwing the iron off. Just then the boy returned on the motor bike. He explained he had only been able to get 11,500 baht. The driver began waving his bill. What was it going to be? Requesting it, I found the bill was for 11,500, the exact amount of money we had available. God answered my prayer perfectly. I had been out of my depth on this one, and God answered to the last baht. No wonder God says in Phil 4:6-7. “Don’t be anxious about anything….”

At that time I didn’t know about asking and giving thanks before I got the answer. I was still learning. God was leading me step by step.

Breaking A Limb

After all the building, there were lots of students and children, but no teachers. I didn’t have a car so I had to take a tin truck. I would take the truck out, and then I would take it back. I was tired. Then I broke my leg for the first time. I was up a ladder at the time and a child called to me. Trying to see who it was, I leaned around the tree and the ladder fell down. Since my leg was in the ladder it was broken. I was in the jungle, with kids, but no car. Just then God brought a young man who was able to help me at just the right time. The young man was strong and he was able to lift me out and take me to medical help. God had the timing right for this to take place. God directed and sustained my steps until the leg was recovered.

Building the Dormitory

Isaiah 8:17,18 “I will wait on the Lord, who hides His face from the house of Jacob. And I will hope in Him. Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts who lives in Mount Zion.”

I was also extremely impatient. God was directing to go forward, and I also wanted to go forward. I also wanted to build close to the village. But I was on plaster so I couldn’t journey to see the site. Everything I wanted to do, I couldn’t do. So I decided to build the dormitory. So, I negotiated with a local builder to put up the building. The builder guaranteed the work would be done in a 4 to 6 weeks and would cost me 2000 baht. I was telling God what He was to do. But I was also putting my trust in him. That night while walking on the trail, my puppy ran through my legs and I tumbled and fell, which caused a vertical fracture. I wouldn’t be helping with the building. The builder, sensing an opportunity to make more money, said the price would be 2,000 baht since I couldn’t help. I started praying and decided I would build without him. I told the builder that he wasn’t needed. I also told the mission that. Sam, my mentor said, “Do you trust in God?” and shared the promise of Isaiah 8:17,18: “I will wait for the Lord…. Here am I, and the children God has given me.” There was no way the school would be ready. Then she got an email about a friend who wanted to visit, who wanted to also bring a boy friend who happened to be a concrete contractor. This man came and quickly did the work.

Prayers for Healing

Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart does good like medicine. But a broken spirit dries the bones.”

Then God said “You have to trust me to help you with big things like healing. You were healed from the cancer; you have to learn to trust me with your children. So on Valentine’s day I asked God for a special gift for my little boy that had a hole in his heart. The hospital had been saying that the hole was getting worse. I was worried. He was okay, but not gaining weight. On 14th of February they went in to see the specialist. He checked the little boy and asked if this was indeed the right child. He asked that they return later. For two hours they sat out side sweating and praying out to God for a miracle. Her bundle was brought back. The specialist said, “He has been “self-healed” and there is nothing wrong with him. His promise in Prov 17:22 is really true.

More Healing

Psalms 10:14 “But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief. To repay it by Your hand, the helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.”

Regarding Belay God gave me the confidence relative to healing after his surgery for TB. He had taken medicine and began vomiting. The vomiting when on for ten hours. Sam prayed for him. The vomiting stopped and seemed to be fine. God is able to do things in his time and in his way. Ps. 10:14 Belay is so alive now. He still doesn’t have legs but he is happy. Sometimes God completely heals; sometimes God just gives wisdom to the doctor.

Obtaining Electric Power

Matt 5:14,16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lamp stand and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see you good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

I was sitting with the school children under the trees and we were writing down a dream list and make them priorities for prayer. One child asked for electricity. I didn’t really want it since might bring movies and other things that might not be good for the children. One day a couple came. The couple said they were from the university. They asked what she would like. She mentioned something, but one of the kids called out “We want electricity too!” The couple said, “We’ll see you the 24th of March.” On the 24th of March, she was in church. Suddenly 33 car loads of people arrived. She had a deep suspicion about those people. She ran out of the church. The group, all practicing an alternative lifestyle said, “We’re going to have a party.” She didn’t want to offend them, and since they had brought pork, she asked the children to quick invite the villagers to come and do dances and enjoy the party. All the groups did various dances for the visitors. Then the Tootsies danced. Then her kids began singing Christian songs for guys. They said they had a surprise. Rolling up the hill came great big trucks with poles and lights and other equipment to bring lighting to the school. They put in poles and cables for six kilometers, at no cost to the school. Then a Grandma from Thai came and gave her 10,000 baht, stating she was thankful that she had shown the boys such a loving example. I went to the power company and asked if I could have the power connected. The bill was 10,028 baht. It only cost me 28 baht to get power. The mission school spent 3 million baht to bring power. It doesn’t matter who God sends, we need to accept his gift. Matt. 5:14,16 God gave them power; but most of all she was able to witness to them. Some of them have now adopted a different lifestyle. “God help me to be grateful.”

Loneliness

Psalms 68:5,6 “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families. He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.”

I was lonely and wanted to return to NZ but didn’t have funds. Then two young people came from Walla Walla and Canada. Both said they wanted to come. Their names were Arthur and Heidi. They both felt called of God. Heidi had come across her web site. It only took her seven days to get her visa and be on the way. Suddenly I had people to help with God’s work. He was 19 when he arrived. But he had much wisdom and knew how to handle the kids. Isn’t God wonderful! Ps. 68:5,6

Financial Assistance

Philippians 4:12,13 “I know how to be abased and how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Chrisr who strengthens me.”

Sometimes our money has run out. We always buy two big bags of rice every day. At this time we had run out of money. I began coveting the rice and the other food that grew on each side of the school. The farmer started cutting his corn, but the corn was too wet so the farmer just left it there. Eventually it started looking bad. So the farmer came and asked if I wanted to glean the field. That gleaned corn is what fed the kids until the money came in. Now I understand Phil 4:12,13. They had enough corn for one week. “I have learned the secret of being content in every circumstance, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” As I ask, God always provides.

Getting a New Passport

Last year I went down to the embassy. The lady explained that I hadn’t been home for many years. Unless you can prove you have been home, you will have to apply for a Thai residency. Then I learned that my younger sister had MS. I really wanted to come home. I left the need to return home in God’s hands, however. Every February we would go to Bangkok and do spontaneous acts of thanks. We went to the mission and the mission hospital. We also went to all the schools. Wednesday we went to ADRA because ADRA had given her much. We found our way upstairs. We were doing worship. The kids sang, I shared, showed slides and then we prayed. Then we were finished, but the questions were still coming. A man was there from New Zealand who noticed that her accent was being lost. Asked how long it had been since she had returned home. I explained it had been 15 years since I returned home. He asked what it would take to go home? I told him it would be God giving me a ticket since I don’t go into debt about anything. 3 weeks later I received a ticket in the mail. God brought me home to a temporary home. I was excited to see people.

God gave me the job to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons, etc..

Matthew 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Isaiah 26:12 “Lord , you established peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.”

Learn more about the Bamboo School at www.bambooschool.org. Cat can be reached via momocat@bambooschool.org.